Chad Pruden and Sarah Jeschke were married Sept. 15 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley, Minn. Parents of the couple are Larry and Sandy Pruden of Maplewood, Minn., and Mike and Rebecca Jeschke of Aberdeen. The couple is living in St. Louis Park, Minn.

Rachael Heinz and Jake Cramond were married Oct. 6 at Sacred Heart Church in Aberdeen. Parents of the couple are Mel and Marge Heinz of Aberdeen and Cindy and Jim Cramond of Prior Lake, Minn. The couple is living in Golden Valley, Minn.

A daughter, Ellen Josephine Hansen, was born Oct. 14, 2010, at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn., to Brooke and Chad Hansen of Golden Valley, Minn. Grandparents are Stan and Cyndy Hokana of Oakes, N.D., and Clayton and Cindy Hansen of Jamestown, N.D. Great-grandparents are Otto Lanz and Alice Grey, both of Aberdeen; Lois Hokana of Oakes, Marvin and Betty Hoye of Jamestown and Evelyn Hansen of Bismarck, N.D.

Mitchell: Carol J. McCarty, 79, of Mitchell died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at the Firesteel Healthcare Center. Memorial services will 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 at the First United Methodist Church with burial in Servicemen's Memorial Cemetery in Mitchell. Arrangements are under the direction of the Will Funeral Chapel of Mitchell. She is survived by her two sons: David (Patty) McCarty of Raleigh, N.C., and Dean McCarty of Golden Valley, Minn.; and five grandchildren.

Monica Amber Sampson and Jacob William Killion are engaged and plan an October wedding in Penn Yan, N.Y. Parents of the couple are Terry and Linda Sampson of Watertown, William Killion of Golden Valley, Minn., and Betsy Killion of Minneapolis. The bride-to-be graduated with a finance and economics degree from the University of Minnesota and is employed in interest rate derivatives at JP Morgan in London, England. The groom-to-be has a master's in business administration from The London Business School and is employed in equity derivatives at Credit Suisse in London.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Thirty years ago auctioneer Shane Wolff stood before a crowd of bidders at a farm sale, many of them friends and neighbors from the Golden Valley area, with a case of stage fright. "My first sale I sold, I was a scared kid," Wolff said. "In Golden Valley, a hometown crowd. It was a little tough to get through, but I got through it. You probably shouldn't start with a hometown crowd," Wolff said with a laugh. Last October, Wolff qualified for the World Livestock Marketing Association's 2012 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship for the second straight year at a regional competition in Dickinson.

Fargo, N.D. - Karolyn Zurn, a producer from Callaway, Minn., is the new chair of the Northern Crops Council (NCC). She was elected at the Council's reorganizational meeting on June 25. The NCC is the governing board of the Northern Crops Institute (NCI), Fargo, N.D. Zurn represents the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. Her first term on the NCC began in 2009. Keith Peltier, President and CEO of Proseed, Harvey, N.D., was elected vice chair of the NCC. He represents processors and marketers of food and feed products.

Aberdeen: Memorial service for Kathy M. (Herman) Vance, 51, Aberdeen is 2 p.m. Saturday, April 6, 2013, at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 S. Main St., Pastor Chris Anderson officiating. Kathy died Monday, April 1, at her home. Visitation: 1-7 p.m. Friday, with family present from 5 to 7 p.m., at the funeral home. Kathryn Mary Herman was born Sept. 17, 1961, in Aberdeen to LeVern and Anna (Frost) Herman. This is the area where she grew up and attended school. She met Steve Vance, her soul mate, in 1979, at Lu's Pizza and they were married on July 11, 1981, in Aberdeen.

West Fargo, N.D.: June McKay, 84, West Fargo, N.D. died Tuesday, June 12, 2012, in her home. Catherine June Grandbois was born Jan. 22, 1928, in Fargo, N.D., the daughter of Joseph and Mary Jane (Boisjolie) Grandbois. She lived most of her life in the Wheatland and Casselton, N.D. area. She moved to Westport in 1965, where she lived until moving to West Fargo in 2002. She married Milton Rilt McKay Nov. 26, 1946. She was preceded in death by her husband, Milton; her parents; two brothers; a sister; a grandson; and a great-grandson.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Thirty years ago auctioneer Shane Wolff stood before a crowd of bidders at a farm sale, many of them friends and neighbors from the Golden Valley area, with a case of stage fright. "My first sale I sold, I was a scared kid," Wolff said. "In Golden Valley, a hometown crowd. It was a little tough to get through, but I got through it. You probably shouldn't start with a hometown crowd," Wolff said with a laugh. Last October, Wolff qualified for the World Livestock Marketing Association's 2012 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship for the second straight year at a regional competition in Dickinson.

Mitchell: Carol J. McCarty, 79, of Mitchell died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at the Firesteel Healthcare Center. Memorial services will 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 at the First United Methodist Church with burial in Servicemen's Memorial Cemetery in Mitchell. Arrangements are under the direction of the Will Funeral Chapel of Mitchell. She is survived by her two sons: David (Patty) McCarty of Raleigh, N.C., and Dean McCarty of Golden Valley, Minn.; and five grandchildren.

A daughter, Ellen Josephine Hansen, was born Oct. 14, 2010, at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn., to Brooke and Chad Hansen of Golden Valley, Minn. Grandparents are Stan and Cyndy Hokana of Oakes, N.D., and Clayton and Cindy Hansen of Jamestown, N.D. Great-grandparents are Otto Lanz and Alice Grey, both of Aberdeen; Lois Hokana of Oakes, Marvin and Betty Hoye of Jamestown and Evelyn Hansen of Bismarck, N.D.